Former Tottenham Star Taricco Suspended for Racist Gesture in South Korea
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Mauricio Taricco has been suspended for five matches and fined 20 million won ($13,600) by the K League after making a racist “slant-eye” gesture toward a referee in South Korea. Taricco, now assistant coach at Jeonbuk, was sent off after contesting a penalty call and then reportedly shouted the Spanish word for “racist” before pulling his eyes back with his fingers. K League officials ruled his behavior racist and referenced similar gestures as grounds for prior FIFA sanctions. Taricco claimed he was simply questioning whether the referee saw the handball, but the league rejected his explanation. Jeonbuk, under manager Gus Poyet, won the first-division title this season, with Taricco as assistant. The duo have worked together in England, Greece, Spain, China, and France. The K League emphasized zero tolerance for actions widely perceived as racist.